3D printing or additive manufacturing (AM) is a process of making 3D solid objects, typically from a digital file. The creation of a 3D printed object is achieved using additive processes rather than subtractive processes. In an additive process, an object is created by laying down successive layers of material until the entire object is created. Each of these layers can be seen as a thinly sliced horizontal cross-section of the eventual object.
Additive processes have been demonstrated with certain limited types of materials, such as organic thermoplastics (e.g. polylactic acid (PLA) or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)), plaster, clay, room temperature vulcanization (RTV) materials, paper, or metal alloys. These materials are unsuitable in certain end applications based on physical or chemical limitations, cost, slow solidification (or cure) times, improper viscosity, etc.
In view of the foregoing, there remains an opportunity to provide improved methods of forming 3D articles as well as an opportunity to provide improved materials suitable for 3D printing.